Annette Lu
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| Annette Lu | |||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese: | 呂秀蓮 | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese: | 吕秀莲 | ||||||||
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Annette Lu
呂秀蓮 |
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| In office May 20, 2000 – May 20, 2008 |
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| President | Chen Shui-bian |
| Preceded by | Lien Chan |
| Succeeded by | Vincent Siew |
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| Born | June 7, 1944 Taoyuan, Formosa, Annexed dependency of Empire of Japan |
| Nationality |  Republic of China (Taiwan) |
| Political party | Democratic Progressive Party |
| Alma mater | National Taiwan University University of Illinois Harvard University |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Annette Lu (traditional Chinese: 呂秀蓮; simplified Chinese: 吕秀莲; pinyin: Lǚ Xiùlián; POJ: Lū Siù-liân; born June 7, 1944), a Taiwanese politician, is a former Vice President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and member of the Democratic Progressive Party. Lu is a prominent feminist activist and became the first female vice president in 2000. She announced her intentions to run for president on March 6, 2007, but withdrew in order to rally behind DPP presidential nominee, Frank Hsieh.
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[edit] Early life
Lu was born in Taoyuan County, in northern Taiwan. After graduating from Taipei First Girls' High School, she studied law at the National Taiwan University. Graduating in 1967, she went on to gain a master's degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and another degree from Harvard University.
[edit] Rise in politics
During the 1970s Lu established herself as a prominent feminist advocate in Taiwan, which included writing of New Feminism or Xin Nüxing Zhuyi (新女性主義). She renounced her prior KMT membership, also joined the Tangwai movement, and worked on the staff of Formosa Magazine. Surviving throat cancer in 1974, she spoke at the rally that precipitated the Kaohsiung Incident and was subsequently sentenced to 12 years for sedition. She served five years and four months before being given a medical parole due to thyroid cancer. Due to the male-dominated culture and combative nature of Taiwan politics, Lu, like several other female politicians subsequently, was nicknamed a "small chili pepper." She was elected to the Legislative Yuan in 1993. In 1997 she won an election to be a magistrate in Taoyuan, replacing her predecessor, who was murdered.
[edit] Vice Presidency, 2000 – 2008
On March 18, 2000, Lu was elected Vice President. She was awarded the World Peace Corps Mission's World Peace Prize in 2001. Controversy erupted over this in Taiwan, with Lu's political opponents accusing her of vastly overstating the significance and value of that award. She was also the ROC's first elected vice president to adopt a Western first name.
In the months leading to the ROC presidential election, 2004 there was intense speculation as to whether she would be again chosen Chen's running mate, as party leaders had pressured him to choose someone else, presumably less controversial and outspoken to appeal to voters. But on December 11, 2003, Chen officially nominated Lu to run for a second term as he could not find a suitable partner.
Lu was a contender for the 2008 presidential election; she announced her candidacy on March 6 and faced Yu Shyi-Kun (current DPP chairman), Frank Hsieh (former DPP chairman, former premier, former Kaohsiung mayor), and Su Tseng-Chang (former DPP chair, incumbent premier) for the nomination.
After receiving only 6.16% of the votes cast in the DPP primary, Vice President Lu withdrew from the race.[1][2]
[edit] Assassination attempt
On March 19, 2004, Lu was shot in the right kneecap during a campaign trip to Tainan. Chen was shot in the abdomen at the same event. Both survived the shooting and left Chi-mei Hospital on the same day. The Pan-Blue Coalition suggested that the shooting was not an assassination attempt but that it was staged to a self-inflicted wound in order to gain sympathy votes. The Chen/Lu ticket won the election on the following day with a 0.228% margin, a figure significant to those who related it the assassination incident.
After the election, she continued to make statements which contributed to a public impression that she was too conversational and tactless. In a June 2004 meeting with expatriates in San Francisco, she proposed to officially rename her country "Taiwan Republic of China" to pacify domestic disputes over Taiwan's identity[citation needed]. However, this drew heat from both sides, ranging from those who wanted to drop the "Republic of China" completely and those who pointed out that her proposal violated the Five Noes. Lu was careful to state that this was just her personal opinion and not an official proposal. She drew more controversy after flooding in Taiwan, in which she made statements which were portrayed as an attack on Taiwanese aborigines for living in flood prone areas.
[edit] Political positions
Lu has been more outspoken in favor of Taiwan independence than President Chen Shui-bian, and as such has been more heavily attacked than Chen both by the government of the People's Republic of China as well as by supporters of Chinese reunification.
She often appears at odds with Chen, particularly with regard to cross-Strait policy. While Chen initially sent conciliatory signals, Lu consistently made inflammatory comments to the media. Her confrontational remarks have led state newspapers in mainland China to accuse her of provoking "animosity between the people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits".[3] PRC state media has also labeled Lu as "insane" and a "scum of the earth."
[edit] Alleged charges
On September 21, 2007, Vice President Lu was indicted on charges of corruption by the Supreme Prosecutor's Office of Taiwan. Lu faces charges of embezzlement and of using false receipts to write-off expenses totalling over US$165,000 from a special governmental account. Yu Shyi-Kun was also indicted on the same day and immediately resigned his chairmanship of the Democratic Progressive Party, he promised he would resign if indicted. On the same day, DPP member and National Security Office Secretary-General Mark Chen was also indicted on corruption charges. [1]
[edit] Novel
Lu completed her novel entitled "These Three Women" while in prison. To evade the surveillance of the detention facility, she wrote part of the novel on toilet paper using washbasin as a desk. In 2008, the novel was adapted into a screenplay for TV drama of the same name. The drama was broadcasted on November 24, 2008 on Chinese Television System.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "VP quits race for Taiwan presidency", Al Jazeera May 7, 2007
- ^ "Frank Hsieh Confirmed as DPP Standard Bearer", The China Post May 8, 2007
- ^ "What Is Annette Lu Up To?", People's Daily, 4/17/00
[edit] External links
- Vice President Lu's Remarks of Appreciation for the 2001 World Peace Prize
- Government Information Office of the Republic of China, Official Biography 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006
| Government offices | ||
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| Preceded by Lien Chan |
Vice President of the ROC 2000 – 2008 |
Succeeded by Vincent Siew |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Su Tseng-chang Acting |
Chairperson of the DPP (acting) 2005 – 2006 |
Succeeded by Yu Shyi-kun Acting |
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